It's All In My Head
by The Perm and Stilettos
Summary: Alex Drake should have been at home preparing to celebrate her daughters birthday, instead she finds herself in 1975 with a prehistoric team and no idea how to get home. Possibility of smut in the future, will up the rating if that occurs!
1. Chapter 1

**It's All In My Head**

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**Chapter 1**

Alex was awoken by her alarm clock at 7:30am, and for a moment she thought that she was going to be late for work. _Day _off, she reminded herself. She had booked the day off so that she could decorate the house and bake Molly a birthday cake whilst she was at school. It was going to be a happy day.

She had a feeling that her daughter wouldn't hear from her father, their phone calls had become few and far between ever since his new girlfriend had coaxed him into going travelling; first Australia, then New Zealand, Thailand and finally to Canada to visit some of her family who had emigrated there. Pete had wanted to take Molly to Canada with him, saying that she only had a couple of weeks left of school before she broke up for the summer holidays, and that it wouldn't hurt for her to go on a trip a little early. No way was he taking Molly abroad; he might never bring her back!

Out on the landing the sound of Molly talking could be heard as she went downstairs, clearly on the phone, and it didn't take long for her to identify who the caller was.

"Thanks dad! I can't wait to come visit you over the summer; it's going to be great!"

Alex gritted her teeth and pulled back the duvet, swinging her legs out of the bed and slipping her feet into her slippers. She retrieved her dressing gown from the hook on the back of the bedroom door, and stepping out onto the landing she saw Molly descending the last few stairs, her mobile phone pinned to her ear.

"Happy birthday Molly" Alex smiled, waiting for her daughter to race back upstairs and give her a customary morning hug.

"Thanks mum!

Molly carried on without turning back, heading into the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. Alex knew she'd be having harsh words with Pete later, an angry email would do it but an argument over the phone when Molly wasn't around would be even better. She hated how he still riled her up, even after being divorced from him for ten years!

After breakfast and a shower they left the house to begin the drive to Molly's school. The journey was quiet, Molly not being her usual talkative self.

"So, you spoke to your dad this morning?"

Molly nodded "Yeah, he's sent me a card and a present through the post; he said it might take a little while longer to get here though"

"Well, Evan will be coming round tonight for your birthday dinner, so you'll get a present from him too"

The radio in the car burst into life, the sound of a male officer's voice coming through "Charlie 75 to DI Drake? IC1 male on Westminster Bridge threatening to jump, negotiator required"

"I'm sorry Molls, you're going to be a little late today" Alex sighed heavily, taking the first exit instead of going on straight "I never can get a day off"

The first thing that Alex noticed when she arrived was that other than a cordoned off section nearby the man, the bridge hadn't been closed off and traffic was still going on pretty much as normal. There was a lot of attention being brought the man stood on the other side of the railings and anyone could tell the man was becoming more agitated. She told Molly to stay in the car, not wanting her to be out by traffic.

"Fill me in!" Alex called to one of the officers as she approached, ducking under the police tap and fastening her hair back into a ponytail "This needs to be quick, I'm taking my daughter to school and I'm not even on duty today"

"The man's name is Malcom Wilkins; early forties, recently separated from his wife, up to his eyeballs in debt and currently in the process of being made redundant"

"Jesus Christ, no wonder he's threatening to jump"

Alex made her way towards the railings, trying not to take the man off guard. She could smell the alcohol on him the closer she got, and once she was a reasonable distance from him, she spoke "Malcom, my name is Detective Inspector Alex Drake, I was wondering if you would like to talk about whatever it is that's making you feel like you have to do this?"

"I feel like this because I have nothing left worth living for! I've lost everything!"

"You can find another job" she spoke simply "When you're going through a divorce every little set back seems like too much to handle, trust me because I've been there"

They talked for a little while, Malcom getting things off his chest as Alex stood and listened. Before either of them realised, thirty minutes had gone by and she gave a little sigh "Come on, let's get you back over these railings and we can have a proper chat somewhere quieter, does that sound good?"

Malcom nodded, carefully beginning to turning so that he was now facing Alex instead of out towards the water.

"That's good; let me give you a hand over"

She reached out her hands to Malcom, and instead of taking hold of one he let go of the railings and gripped both of her hands in his. Feeling his weight shift backwards, Alex tried to brace herself against the metal bars as Malcom began to fall backwards, his grip on her hands tightening and pulling her up, over and with him as he fell, the pair of them toppling down into the icy waters bellow.

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_**I hope that somebody out there is still reading FF for this amazing show :) if so, leave a review and let me know if you want more of this! Thanks, TPAS x**_


	2. Chapter 2

**It's All In My Head**

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**Chapter 2**

_Water is thicker than air, so it gets out of the way more slowly. If you hit it going really fast it is a little like hitting concrete for a split second. That second is plenty of time to shatter the bones in your legs and hips before dumping you into the river, and when you try to scream from the agony of the impact or from the instinctive attempt to use your now-mutilated limbs you will waste what little air you have left. Without being able to swim you won't be able to get back up to the surface; the speed has thrown you deep underwater and it's unlikely you can even see in the darkness. So after a few moments of shattered bones, pitch-black terror, and building panic in your chest, water rushes into your mouth, is pulled into your lungs, and causes you to thrash around, causing grievous suffering in your ruined body, but with your system full of water you can't even scream now; eventually the pain in your limbs and chest subsides as your brain runs out of oxygen, and inevitably you die._

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Alexs eyes flung open and she let out a cry of panic, scrambling to move. Her face was dripping with ice cold water and her wet hair hung in front of her eyes. She wiped the soaking tendrils to the side and out of the way, looking around; finding herself on the sofa of an oddly beige coloured retro living room. Looking up she saw that in front of her stood a huge hulk of a man, wearing a grey suit and a camel coat with a lit cigarette hanging from his lips, floppy blonde hair framing his face as he looked down at her with a now empty cup in his hand.

"See Dorothy, I told you a cold cup of water would work!" the northern man grinned "Right, get this bird down to the station and see if she knows anything"

"Guv she seemed out cold, I highly doubt she'd have heard a bit of fighting in the flat bellow"

Alex immediately recognised the voice of the second man to speak, _Sam Tyler_. She pushed herself up off the sofa and stumbled towards him, grabbing handfuls of his striped shirt "Please Sam, you've got to help me!"

The man in camel smirked, dropping his almost finished cigarette into the empty cup and setting it down on the coffee table "Do you know this one Tyler?"

Alex cupped his face in her hands, trying to keep his focus on her "Sam, I was trying to save a man and the stupid bastard pulled me with him! I'm in the river Thames!"

"You're a long way from the Thames love, this is Manchester!"

She let go of Sam, spinning around to stare at the Northerner "What? Manchester?! Oh god…"

"Yes Manchester! Where else do you think you live, you daft mare!"

Sam stepped forward towards his senior officer, telling him to go ahead without him, saying that that he would deal with her. The DCI had been reluctant at first, but as soon as Ray's voice could be heard shouting down the hallway that the fight was kicking off again, the blonde Northerner shot out of the front door saying something about giving somebody a good slap. Once the pair were alone Sam took Alex by the hand and led her through to the bedroom, closing the door and sitting her on the edge of the bed, needing their conversation to be as private as possible.

"You need to take a few deep breaths and calm down, talk me through what you're trying to tell me"

"I got a call this morning about a man threatening to commit suicide, I was trying to talk him down and he ended up dragging me down with him" She stood up and moved over to the window, staring out "I was just injured in 2008 London, now I've woken up here in.."

Sam cut her off before she could finish her sentence "1975 Manchester"

Horror spread across her face "1975?! Dear god, this has got to be a nightmare!"

"I'm afraid not!" he shrugged "Come on, we'd best get you over to the station, I've got a feeling you are the new DI that we're expecting"

Alex turned to follow him, but instead stopped and stared at her reflection in the full length mirror propped up against the wall by the window; the green cotton blouse she wore tucked into her blue denim flares, with just a hint of open-toed tan suede shoes peeking out from underneath. She turned on the chunky heels, smiling a little at how utterly dreadful yet amazing she looked. The jeans gave her a waist, something that the black trouser suits never for her even with her shirts tucked in; her usually plain brown hair was wavy and still looked pretty good to say she'd had a cup of water dumped all over her.

"I know, the fashion here takes a little getting used to" Sam chuckled.

"No, I could work with this actually"

"_Tyler!"_

The Northern voice made Alex jump, even more so when he burst into the bedroom with a huge smirk across his face "Copping off with the witness? How very professional! I wonder what Cartwright would say"

Sam put his hand on Alexs arm reassuringly "Guv, I think this is our new DI, Alex Drake"

"Bloody hell fire! If I'd known I was getting another bird on the team I'd have got out the welcome banners" Gene smirked "Either that or I'd have informed the maintenance man that the tampon machine will probably need restocking, the amount of birds in that station is just getting ridiculous now"

"Is he always this rude?" Alex scoffed, looking at Sam who simply shrugged and nodded in apology.

Alex stayed close by Sam as the three of them left the flat, and she tried to block out the argumentative ranting going on between the two men as they made their way down four flights of steps before coming out onto the street outside the building, a Ford Cortina in a terrible shade of brown parked haphazardly on the kerb.

Hunt stepped forward towards the car, opening the passenger side door and signalling to Alex "After you Lady Drake"

"Why aren't I sitting in the front?" Sam frowned.

"Because she ain't wearing a skirt, so there's no chance of me trying to sneak a peek at her delicates"

Alex shook her head, grimacing with disgust as she slid herself stiffly into the passenger seat "You really are a vile man"

"You'll learn to love it, they all do" he smirked, sauntering around to the drivers side and getting in.

The trio began the relatively quick journey to the station. Alex sat in silence, staring out of the window and watching as various parts of Manchester flashed by. She could hear Sam talking again, and the sound of Gene sighing reluctantly before switching on the radio, the opening bars of some old song that she vaguely recognised began to play, only for static noise and the faint sound of talking to interfere.

"You really should have somebody take a look at that radio" Alex sighed "That sounds like some really bad interference"

"What are you wittering on about woman? It sounds fine to me!"

She frowned at him, glancing in the wing mirror and seeing Sam nod in agreement "Sorry, I must have been hearing things"

"Great, I've got another loon on my team"

After arriving at the station Alex followed Gene and Sam inside, firstly ignoring the comments about her being Hunts bit on the side from a very unladylike looking uniformed female at the front desk, and trying not to notice all the eyes that lingered on her as they walked on by.

"Jesus Christ, are all the men around here not capable of subtlety?" she scoffed, and Sam just chuckled in response.

Stepping into CID, Alex was welcomed by a large incident room, the ceiling barely visible due to the cloud of cigarette smoke. The haphazardly placed desks were piled high with mountains of paperwork, shocking Alex as she felt her inner obsessive compulsive suddenly take over.

"What on earth is this place? I thought I was in a police station, not a recycling plant!"

Hunt rolled his eyes "Recycling? Don't tell me you're one of these hippy-dippy tree huggers?!"

"Why aren't these files put away? Don't you lot have any organisational skills at all?"

"Don't you have any bloody manners?" Gene snapped "Who the hell you do you think you are waltzing into my kingdom and slagging us off? I don't know how you're lot in London do things, but you're up North now love and I'm the sheriff of this town so you can shut your lipstick and follow my rules!"

"Follow your rules? And what exactly would they be, hmm?" she asked, her words laced with sarcasm and attitude "Drink all day, smoke until your lungs give out, drive like a maniac and then off to the pub for a chat with the lads, throw in a bit of sexism and casual racism and that's you're day complete, am I right? No wonder there is no time in the day for something so trivial as paperwork!"

Gene stood with his feet apart, shoulders back and chest puffed out "Listen to you, using your big words like that's meant to impress me!"

"Why would I be trying to impress you? You are petulant, ill-mannered and downright rude!" she snapped, stepping closer to him so that they were almost toe-to-toe "You don't intimidate me, _Hunt_, you're just a big, overgrown bully"

"Tyler, show DI Drake to her desk" Gene spoke sternly, eyes locked with Alexs "I think everybody has had enough excitement for one day"

She clenched her jaw, pouting and following Sam to the desk furthest across the room from Gene's office. The desk was piled full of files, scrap paper and the odd empty chocolate wrapper, the sight made Alex's stomach churn and with a heavy sigh she began the mammoth task of organising the mess, aware that Gene was still very much watching her.

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_**Apologies that this chapter has taken so long, I've been busy with work and preparing for a 3 hour exam. Now that's out of the way and work is a little quieter I can write more often! Thanks for reading guys, reviews are greatly appreciated! TPAS x**_


	3. Chapter 3

**It's All In My Head**

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**Chapter 3**

The day had dragged immensely; minutes feeling like hours and hours feeling like days. As first days went, this one had been the most frustrating that Alex had ever experienced, even worse than the part time waitressing job she had taken in university with the beer bellied manager who used to try and cop a feel at the end of every shift. Alex had cleared the files from her desk; she had even managed to keep her cool when Ray Carling had dumped another stack in front of her with a smirk. She had arranged the folders in alphabetical order and into corresponding categories, putting them away before slumping down into the office chair, letting out a long and weary sigh as Hunt caught her attention; stood playing darts, shoulders broad and shirt sleeves rolled up to the elbow, a half smoked cigarette hanging loosely from his lips as he threw his final arrow before stepping forward to pluck them from the board. She had to admit that whilst she was going to be here her time would be, somewhat interesting? Never before had she met an officer of the law as brazen and bad-mannered as him.

The office door flung open and Hunt stood in the doorway for a moment, taking a packet of cigarettes out of his trouser pocket, followed by a book of matches. He popped a cigarette between his lips and struck a match, lighting the cigarette as he walked, casually dropping the match into Rays cup of tea as he passed by.

"Nice work newbie, I haven't seen half of those case files since that one Christmas the missus decided to smile for a change"

"I need a drink…"

"Hmm, you're starting to sound more like my kind of woman Drake!" Gene smirked, rubbing his hands together joyously "Is this where you get your girly knickers in a twist and try to drink the big boys under the table?"

"Try? Don't make me laugh"

"So I take it we'll be seeing you in The Railway Arms later then?"

"I don't think so, tonight I've got a date with a bottle of wine and a very large tin of magnolia paint" she smiled sweetly "If I have to sit looking at beige walls after the day I've had I will go insane!"

"You already are love" He chuckled, taking a long drag of his cigarette and blowing out a plume of smoke towards her "So then, I'll be seeing you tomorrow, bright and early"

"Yeah, tomorrow"

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Alex stood back to appreciate her handy work, it had taken two coats to cover the nasty beige but she was happy with the results. She went through to the bathroom and took a fresh towel from the airing cupboard before switching the shower on. Stripping down to nothing, she tossed her paint covered clothes into the basket by the door and stepped into the shower, letting the water pour over her skin and wash away the stress of the day.

The loud knock at the front door disturbed her, and she reluctantly stepped out of the spray and switched it off. She wrapped the towel around herself and went to answer it, not even thinking that it could be Gene or Sam or one of the other men on the team. Luckily for Alex it wasn't any of them, instead it was Annie Cartwright.

"Hey, I didn't get a chance to say hello earlier on so I thought I'd introduce myself, I'm Annie" she smiled "I was so happy when Sam said there was another woman on the team"

"Nice to meet you, I'd shake your hand but I need them both to hold this towel on"

"Sorry!" Annie laughed "Look, you should come join us in the pub; it's good to get to know the team outside of the office"

"I suppose I should show my face, even for a little while, you'll have to give me some time to get ready though"

Alex let her into the flat, going through to the bedroom as Annie sat down on the sofa to wait. For a moment Alex didn't know what to do when she stepped into the bedroom, it was unfamiliar to her; she had no idea where anything was. She opened both doors of the big oak wardrobe and her eyes were immediately drawn to a long sleeved, maroon coloured woollen dress. She pulled it from the hanger and laid it out onto the bed, moving to the chest of draws and opening each compartment to see what was where. She took a pair of black knickers from the underwear draw and sat on the bed beside the dress to put them on. The dress was thick enough that she wouldn't need to bother wearing a bra. She quickly dried her hair and applied some makeup, putting on the dress and pairing it with a pair of knee high, tan leather boots.

"Let me warn you, the lads all seem to sit together in the pub, I usually sit with some of the women from uniform" Annie called "I know I'm part of CID now but it's still a boys club"

She left the bedroom, switching the light off as she left "Even Sam sits with them?"

"Yeah, I prefer talking to the girls and he always comes over later on when the rest of the team have had too much to drink and are getting rowdy"

They left the flat and walked the few minutes down the road to The Railway Arms. The fog of cigarette smoke took Alex by surprise as they walked inside, even more so when Gene rose from his seat in the corner with Sam, Ray and Chris and began to walk towards her.

"Cartwright, I think your future husband wants a word" Gene stated, his trademark pout settling on his lips for a moment as he leant against the bar "So, what are you drinking then Drake?"

She sat herself down on one of the barstools, placing both elbows on the bar and resting her chin on her hands "Red wine please, a very large glass"

"I thought you had painting to do tonight, surprising how Cartwright managed to pull you away with nothing but the idea of a girly chat and a cheap bottle of red"

"Oh I'm sorry, are you jealous?" she quipped, eyebrows raised and a playful glint in her eyes.

He scoffed, forcing a laugh "Me jealous of Cartwright? I don't think so love"

"Actually, forget the glass of red" she slid off the barstool and leant closer "Make it a bottle, I'll be sat with Annie and the women from uniform"

Gene watched as she sashayed over towards where Annie was now sat, turning back to the bar when he felt Sam tap him on the shoulder "Don't say a word Tyler"

"You're going to cause trouble if you try battling her, Guv" Sam muttered, his voice low and almost a whisper "She's smart, it won't end well I can promise you that"

Gene shook his head and handed Nelson a ten pound note from his pocket "She's feisty, it'll take her a couple of weeks to settle into the swing of things but I can tell already she's going to fit in nicely"

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It was the sound of glass clinking on the wooden table made Alex look up from picking the chipped nail polish from her fingers, having been paying no attention to the conversation that Annie and the other women were having. Stood in front of her was Gene Hunt, an empty pint glass in one hand and the other wrapped around the neck of a champagne bottle.

"Me and the lads had a bet that this stuff is your choice of drink" he indicated to the label on the bottle; _Bollinger_.

She frowned "I've tried it once or twice, but how exactly is there a bet on this?"

He placed the glass in front of her and picked up the bottle "They all reckon you can't hold your drink, whereas I on the other hand think there's still hope for you yet"

After peeling back the foil he removed the metal cage, popping the cork and beginning to pour the drink into the pint glass, pausing every few seconds to let the bubbles settle until the glass was filled to the brim.

"Drink up Bolly; let's see if you've got what it takes to be part of this team"

She watched as he turned and walked away, going back to join Sam, Ray and Chris. Annie sighed, shaking her head as Alex slid the pint of champagne towards herself and sipped the liquid until it was low enough not to cause a spill.

"You're not really going to fall for this, are you? They're just trying to get you drunk so that they can take the piss when you're hungover tomorrow"

"Hunt seriously seems to underestimate me, he thinks I'm just some posh bird that's trying to be one of the guys" she grinned, picking the glass up and drinking a huge mouthful "He'll see, there's more to me than meets the eye"

Alex watched as Gene sat back down beside Ray, lighting a cigarette that seemed like the thousandth one she'd seen him smoke that day. She caught his eye as he looked towards her, and she lifted the glass to her lips, taking a few extra gulps when she saw the smirk tugging at his lips.

The pint of bubbly alcohol was empty before Gene had even had the time to sink his own drink and order another, so the empty champagne bottle joined the empty bottle of wine which was shortly joined by a twin as the women laughed and chatted. By the time that Nelson rang the bell for last orders Alex had drunk more wine then she could ever remember drinking.

"Right.." Gene started, tugging on his camel coat as he approached the table "I'd best get you home then"

"Home? I'm a long way from there"

"Not really love, you're flats only round the corner" he began, downing the last few mouthfuls of his pint "I'll walk you round"

She shook her head firmly "No, I think I'd rather go alone"

"Walking on your own at this time of night? Don't make me bloody laugh woman"

Gene linked his arm through hers and lifted her to her feet, noting that she was a lot less unsteady than he was expecting. Outside the wind was picking up, giving the evening an icy chill that made the hairs on Alexs arms stand on end, even the thick wool of her dress couldn't keep her as warm as she'd have liked to be. She could feel his eyes on her as they walked up the stairs to her flat, and once outside her front door she turned and leant against the wall to fish her keys out of her handbag.

"Would you like to come in for a coffee?"

"Tar love but not tonight, I'd best be heading home before the missus locks me out for the night"

She nodded, clearing her throat and suddenly finding the set of keys in her hand more interesting than eye contact with him "Oh yeah, for a second I forgot that you're married"

"Yeah I am, why are you disappointed?" his tone was clearly amused and she could picture him smirking, pleased with himself.

"Of course not, it's just that I got the impression you were the love them and leave them type, that's all"

"Well, you should get yourself to bed Bolls, early day tomorrow"

She nodded, chewing her lip "Hmm, yeah, early day.."

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_**So sorry that it's been over a month since I updated, I just haven't had any inspiration to write until today when I finished this chapter off! Hope you enjoy! TPAS x**_


	4. Chapter 4

**It's All In My Head**

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**Chapter 4**

The sound of the vacuum cleaner being switched on was what woke Gene up the next morning as he lay on the sofa, his mouth was dry but his head didn't ache which he was thankful for.

"What time did you roll in last night?" Ruth hissed, switching the machine off having used it for its purpose of waking him up "I never heard you come in, I assumed you weren't coming home"

His words sounded gravely as he sat up, running his hands down his face "I stayed until last orders"

"I don't know why I even ask anymore, it's not like you give a shit about my day so why should I care about yours"

Gene looked at her, for what seemed like the first time in a long time. Her dark blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail and her face was thick with make-up, like she was trying to make an effort, but that effort wasn't for him anymore, it was for her friends and their families, it was for anyone that paid an interest in her life. Their marriage had been over long ago, but it was easier to stay together than to make it official. Gene made just enough money for them to live without Ruth having to work, although her part time job working Avon brought in a little extra and it gave her something to do. The upside to a failing marriage was that Ruth lived comfortably and that he had a cooked meal waiting in the microwave when he came in from the pub, and he had a choice of the spare room or the sofa for sleeping, it all depended on how drunk he was as to whether he could clamber up the stairs to sleep in bed.

"Right, I'd best go get ready for work" he grumbled, hauling himself to his feet and heading upstairs for a shower.

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Alex opened her eyes and winced at the beam of light peeking through from behind the curtains. Rolling onto her back she groaned as the thumping in her head began to make its presence known. To say she had sunk god knows how much alcohol the night before she didn't feel as bad as she would have thought she'd be, but she knew all too well that her hangover would gradually progress that morning until she would want to curl up in a ball under her desk and cry. She had rather hoped to be able to enjoy taking the time to get herself ready that morning, but after throwing back the duvet and hauling herself off of the bed she forced herself to take a shower, hoping that a burst of cold water would wake her up a little. She chose to wear a pair of flared jeans with a purple cotton blouse tucked in, paired with some suede heeled Mary Janes.

After a quick scout in the kitchen she concluded there was nothing in to try and make herself a healthy breakfast that might possibly help fight the hangover, and that instead she would just have to stop off at a café and grab something quick on her way to work.

There weren't too many people around when she left the building, and the slight breeze in the air felt lovely against her clammy skin. When she found herself at the greasy spoon around down the street, a little place named Kaths Café that had coffee cup ring stains on the tables and an overweight woman chain smoking as she served customers at the till.

"I never thought I'd see you in this place Drake"

Alex turned around, about to order herself a bacon sandwich when the voice of Gene Hunt could be heard from a table in the corner. He had a mug of something hot and a plate of something greasy in front of him.

"It's just my luck that I'd run into _you_ this morning" she pouted, strolling over and sitting down in the chair in front of him "It's all your fault I'm feeling delicate this morning"

"Delicate?!" he scoffed, stabbing a sausage with his fork and cutting off a chunk "You didn't come across as a wallflower last night when you were drinking the pub out of wine"

"Please don't try and start an argument with me today, I'm in no mood to battle it out with anyone" She reached across the table and plucked the other half of the sausage from his plate, dipping it in the tomato sauce of his half cold beans before taking a bite "Hmm, not too shabby actually"

"I'm pretty sure stealing a blokes sausage is punishable by death somewhere in the world"

She smiled, trying to eat it in the most lady like way possible before wiping her fingers on his napkin. The door to the shop opened and Sam walked in, eyebrows raising when he saw the pair sat together.

"Morning, nice night was it?" he grinned, joining them at the table "I notice you didn't come back to the pub after walking DI Drake home, you two best be careful otherwise you'll be the talk of the station"

"I'll have you know I was nothing but a gent, Tyler, you bloody pervert"

Sam watched as Alexs cheeks turned a not so subtle shade of red "Yeah, I believe you Guv"

Alex fiddled with the dirty napkin, clearly embarrassed by the way the conversation was heading "Honestly, he walked me to my door and nothing else"

Giving her a gentle nudge with his elbow, Sam nodded "I know, I'm winding you both up! Right, I promised Annie a bacon buttie so I best get my backside in gear"

Within minutes Sam had gotten his sandwiches and left, leaving Gene and Alex sat in an awkward silence for a while.

"Well, I'll let you finish your breakfast" she spoke as she forced a smile "See you at work"

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When Gene sauntered into CID ten minutes late he sensed that Alex was keeping herself to herself. Surely the thought of spending the night with him wasn't _that _bad, surely? So far he had to say he was enjoying having her in CID, she'd proven herself to be a dab hand at paperwork the day before as well as her drinking capabilities; he could just tell that things were going to liven up. He plonked himself down behind his desk, office door open as he observed his officers starting work for the day; Ray drinking a cup of tea and chatting to Chris about whatever dopey topic he'd brought up, Sam and Annie stood cooing over each other being the soppy loved up pair that they had now become, and yet he was drawn to Alex, sat reading notes from a file that Phyllis must have fetched in before he arrived.

"Drake, get in here!"

She looked up towards his office like a kitten being approached by a Great Dane, unsure and a little fearful. As she rose to her feet he called out and instructed her to fetch the file. He had to say, she looked damn good in denim.

"The rude woman at reception brought this in earlier" she pouted "Somebody called and gave an anonymous tip about an armed robbery due to take place tomorrow afternoon"

He rubbed his hands together, chuckling "Oh I do love an armed blag, todays turning into a good day!"

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_**Thanks for the reviews so far guys! I love hearing what you think about this! TPAS x**_


	5. Chapter 5

**It's All In My Head**

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**Chapter 5**

At the end of her shift Alex hurried back to the flat to shower and change, opting for a mustard yellow cable knit jumper with the jeans that she had worn that day. The jumper was snug and she was almost worried that it did her breasts too much justice, like she was purposely trying to make them look bloody amazing! Gazing at her reflection in the mirror, she gave a gentle sigh; things were moving fast and she wasn't sure that it was appropriate. Gene Hunt wasn't what she would call her _type_; he was rough and rugged and had a presence she couldn't remember ever seeing in a man before. He was her boss here in this world, whatever this world may be, but she felt drawn to him, like no matter what else happened this man would be a constant, whilst the rest of the world became a confusing blur he could be the thing that stopped her falling.

The Railway Arms was already filled with the usual suspects by the time Alex arrived there; she gave Nelson a friendly smile and ordered a glass of wine. Not even a minute after the glass had been placed in front of her, Gene was beside her.

"Are you sure you should be drinking? I was surprised you weren't still pissed this morning" Gene joked.

"I wasn't even pissed last night" she lied, chewing her lip briefly before taking a sip of her drink "I was just merry"

"Of course you were love, that's why you invited me in with the promise of _coffee_, whatever that means these days"

"Coffee means coffee, nothing more"

He smirked, shaking his head as they made their way over to an empty table to sit down "Do you know what a prick tease is Bolls? I'm getting the feeling that the dictionary has a photo of you next to the word"

"Don't be disgusting!" she was trying to keep her face straight, but there was a giggle dying to escape and a grin trying to wriggle its way to her lips.

"No, you are! Wiggling your arse in your fancy jeans…"

Her eyebrows shot up "You've been looking at my arse?"

"Trying to act all professional at work whilst you're secretly giving me the eye…"

"I have not!"

"Face it Bolls, I know a come on when I see one"

"Even if I was trying it on with you, which I am clearly not, you're married anyway"

_There it was_, she'd done it again and brought up the fact that he had a wife. So far he liked Alex Drake, she was gorgeous and smart and he knew that once she had warmed to the whole team and was one of the gang that she'd have a cracking sense of humour, but she was starting to get on his nerves with the reminders.

"Yeah, you're right, I am married" He stood up, finishing the last mouthful of his pint and heading over to the bar to where Sam was stood.

Alex watched him, fiddling with the stem of her wine glass. _Nice going Alex_, she thought as he started a conversation with Sam, she had a feeling that she'd pissed him off but there was nothing she could do about it now.

Alex had later been joined by Annie and Sam, and Gene returned to the table a little while after. The night had been spent talking about work; telling each other stories from earlier times in their careers. It was at eleven o'clock that Alex decided to call it a night, she'd drank enough wine to make her a little unsteady on her feet but not enough that she would regret it the next day.

"I suppose I've got to walk you home again then?" Gene asked, sounding like a child that had been asked to take the rubbish out.

She simply nodded, too tired to play another game of flirtatious verbal foreplay with him. After standing, pulling on his coat and necking the last mouthful of his pint, they left The Railway Arms and began to make the short walk to Alexs building, a repeat of the previous night's journey. Two drunken men turned the corner and began heading towards them, Alexs hand instinctively looped around Genes arm like he was a safety blanket. A smile tugged at his lips, even more so when her hand remained where it was when the men had passed by.

"Do you want me to walk you up?" he asked as the stopped outside the door of her building.

She nodded, smiling "That would be nice"

He reached to open the door for her, his free hand resting at the bottom of her back as they went inside. Her skin tingled as she felt the warmth of him through her blouse, and it stayed there the entire way to her door. She thought better than to invite him inside, he'd only politely decline anyway.

"Thank-you for walking me back again" she was smiling sweetly, even as she reached up to cup one cheek with her hand and to lightly kiss the other, not bothering to wipe away the lipstick she'd left on him "Goodnight Gene Hunt"

His mouth twitched into a half smile "Night Alex"

He waited until her door was unlocked and she was inside before he walked away, hands in pockets and shoulder back proudly.

**-888888-**

Gene pulled up outside his house, switching off the engine but not getting out of the car. He wanted a moment of silence before his night went one of two ways, ending one was that he went inside and Ruth was already in bed, he could have another beer and stick the television on for a bit before sleeping on the sofa, whereas ending two was that Ruth would still be awake and would do his head in for a while. The curtains twitched and he turned his head to see Ruth looking out of the living room window at him.

"Bollocks…" he sighed, ending two it was then.

He opened the driver's side door and hauled himself out, heading up the garden path and using his keys to let himself in, and he was surprised that Ruth hadn't put the chain and bolt across just to spite him. He took off his coat and hung it up on one of the hooks in the hallway, going through to the living room and sitting down on the sofa, half a space between himself and his wife.

"You stink of beer" Ruth grimaced and shuffled further down the sofa, shaking her head in disgust when she caught a glimpse at the lipstick mark on his cheek.

He shrugged "Well I have been to the pub, what do you expect?"

"I expect you to be home at a normal time, not swanning off to drink your wages before you've even got them!"

"What would you rather me do, eh?" he snapped, shifting sideways to look at her full on "Do you want me to come straight back here after work and sit in silence with you whilst you watch the soaps? Or would you prefer to just row like we usually do?"

"Piss of Gene!" she was off the sofa, gathering her magazines and cigarettes off the coffee table.

"No Ruth, you can piss off! Why don't you go to your mothers or something? I paid for this house and I'm hardly ever bloody here because I can't stand being around you!"

She dropped the magazines and span around to slap Gene hard across the face. He stayed silent, trying to bite his tongue and not say something even more hurtful than he already had done. He listened to her heavy breathing, having used every ounce of strength in her body to wallop him. It was only once she had recollected her things and made a retreat upstairs that he grabbed his coat and left the house. There was only one place he had in mind to go; he just hoped that she was still awake.

**-888888-**

_**This August is a crazy month for me, so I might not get a lot of time to write in between work, doing wedding photography, visiting family and fulfilling bridesmaid/wedding planner duties! The next chapter will be up as soon as I can get it done! TPAS x**_


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